Zimbabwe, facing a severe food shortage, is considering an unlikely program to bring rich foreign visitors to the country, according to a government announcement in November. The information minister proposed an “obesity tourism strategy,” in which overweight visitors (especially Americans) would be encouraged to “vacation” in Zimbabwe and “provide labor for (government-confiscated) farms in the hope of shedding weight.” Americans, the proposal noted, spend $6 billion a year on “useless” dieting aids and could be encouraged to work off pounds and then flaunt “their slim bodies on a sun-downer cruise on the Zambezi (River).”
one of the most bizzare, though sadly true, things i have ever read…
Why not give the local Africans pick axes, shovel and seeds and teach them how to WORK such as farm and grow food for a living and quit living off of the handouts of others, it has made them a lazy bunch of people and why were at it send trojan condoms out there to build a factory and hopefully stop the population and aids explosion going on over there.
"one of the most bizzare things i have ever read… "
Until you read Heavy D’s post.
I can just see it now. A river cruise up the Zambezi with a bunch of severely obese mid westerners and Texans on their first trip abroad complaining that there’s no McDonald’s and telling the natives how much they miss their Wal-Mart shopping.
That’s a boat ride from hell. Let me off!
Or maybe the boat would just sink under all that weight. 
It is bizzare untill youve been there, I used to fly for an unamed outfit out there, and one of our projects was to fly for the red cross or world food program and deliver what you donated to the poor, and what I found out is that these people are not poor, they merely rely on handouts from the world and are lazy beyond belief, I remember landing on some dirt airstrips out there that was filled from the local river and at sundown the runway would sparkle from all the diamonds on the runway, no shit, and it was a guarded runway, when you landed you didnt dare reach down and pick up some dirt for fear of being shot.
The poorest people in the world are populating on some of the worlds richest land, they just dont know how to harvest it, the best diamonds in the world come from africa, they are sitting on oil reserves beyond what the saudis can provide and the gems and minerals are second to none,
That is what I mean, education is second to none
OK. I understand where you’re coming from.
I remember Zimbabwe when it was called Rhodesia and all the white folk where considered by the western press to be bad guys, which a lot of them were. Since black majority rule the place has become a total disaster, unfortunately due to one dictorial government leader that has been around too long. The country is totally capable of being self sufficient but it’s a total mess.
That’s the tragedy of almost all of Africa. Ghana had the potential to be Africa’s equivalent of Korea, but military dictatorships, ethnic tensions, etc have relegated the place back to “please sir give me more” status. I know this because I actually dated for two years a woman who was originally from Ghana.
No wonder they call it the “dark continent”. They have enormous challenges but I hope South Africa can pull it off and show the world that it can be done.
Forgive me, but what the fuck are you talking about! Diamonds sparkling on the runway! I have never heard such utter crap in my life. It is clear that you were once “in” Zimabwe, but it was probably something you imagined when you were smoking crack in your living room.
I can’t actually believe that I am dignifying your post with an answer.
I can’t actually believe that I am dignifying your post with an answer.
I can’t either.
Ahhh my friend, its true, I cant recall the name of the one dirt strip but its so very true, I think it was in lucapa, Angola, they would use the dirt from the sides of the river to fill the runway and thats where the diamonds come from as well, in their raw state they look like a piece of plexiglass and you and i would walk right over them but to the trained eye they are diamonds, well after so many take off and landings on that strip we kinda shined up the diamonds that where on the runway, most of it was dust but when the sun hit it just right it would actually sparkle, very true.
There is soooooooo much corruption going on over there it will make you sick, the govornment troops would come and unload our aircraft with the poor and starving watching on the sidelines, everynow and then they would drop a bag of rice and it would spill on the ground and the poor would run up and grab a handfull only to be beaten to shit by the guards and sometimes shot at.
As far as population control there is none, I remember talking to this kid who was maybe 21 and he already had 7 kids and he couldnt understand why I didnt have any kids myself, thats the norm over there.
I dont mean to flame anyone I just call it like I see it, I dont hate africans at all, they by far are the most friendliest people I have ever met, they dont have a pot to piss in or a penny to their name but they would always come up to you and say hello with a handshake and a big smile
But to bring this back to a more tri specific setting, Africans by nature are strong as an ox and they can run like the wind and for as little as they eat Im impressed
There was an old travel/adventure film by some Australian guy, Albey Mangles, with film photage of exactly what you discribed, nearly to the letter. He also saw a similar thing in New Guinea but with gold, the dumb asses used the soil from the mine to build the runway, when the mine closed some Canadian guy walked in and dug up $19M worth of gold, course then he opened his big mouth and bragged and got himself killed for it.
There are certainly evils of ‘Aid’ given to certain countries. Not short term aid (though there can be problems with this to), but generally the long term stuff.
Genrally this Aid is not free just sold at reduced prices to shift surplus food off the western market. It rearly goes to those that need it as it goes to the educated who are more likely to be able to effect who is in power, rather than the poor in rural areas who have less political strength. It allows goverments to continue with poor economic and agricultural policy’s that have caused many of the shortages. People stop working the land because the local markets are effected by these imports. Some times the food is not suitable as it doesnot fit in with local diets. Other health problem can occur such as the problems caused by powered milk.
p.s. I don’t think it is fair to tar everyone in Zimbarwie with the same brush many of the farm workers would love to be able to go back to work if they were allowed.
Ah, the simplicity of it all. The Africans are poor because they are lazy. We Americans, we are rich because we are hard working. The world is so simple if you ignore so many bothersome details.
They have enormous challenges but I hope South Africa can pull it off and show the world that it can be done. Not bloodly likely - hence people leaving in droves - now 60 000 South African’s in the greater vancouver area alone…sad!!